Many new parents have likely had the question,
“Why is my baby having so much trouble when they are feeding?”
Infants and children born with a tongue (ankyloglossia) and/or lip tie are more likely to experience difficulties with latching during breastfeeding, poor management and consumption of bottles due to factors such as poor suck, frequent breaks, and seemingly taking a long time to finish their meal, as well as food and texture avoidance as they get older.
If untreated, infants can have minimal weight gain, poor nutrition, and swallowing problems due to inability to effectively suck and swallow from the nipple.
In later stages, as children develop their food palate, they can experience strong refusals/avoidance to textures, fatigue with more “chewy” textures (i.e. meats), and risk of foods “going down the wrong tube” (aspiration).
When a child is identified with a lip and/or tongue tie by a medical professional, they are often presented with the option to undergo a tongue tie revision to release the tethered frenulum. Once this is completed, it is common for parents to be provided a home program to complete tongue stretches and massages to limit the chance of the frenulum reattaching, but in many cases, the feeding/swallowing issues are not fully resolved.
Now what?
Many certified Speech-Language Pathologists are trained to assist parents with their child’s feeding/swallowing disorders following a tongue/lip tie revision. A SLP is equipped with the knowledge and skill set to observe and assess any swallowing difficulties as well as determine the appropriate treatment plan for food aversions and tolerance when advancing food textures. The SLP can provide parents with information and education to reduce stress during meals and build a child’s skill set to tolerate new foods safely and be able to consume foods with less difficulties making meal time a fun experience!
If you have questions relating to your child having swallowing or feeding difficulties and/or are concerned about your child having a possible tongue/lip tie, please contact us for more information!